#canvasback

Alfred Joseph Casson (Canadian, 1898 - 1992) The Canvas-Back, circa 1930. Colour silkscreen on paper.

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes

Breeds across parts of Alaska, western Canada, and the NW US.

Winters over much of the US and Mexico.

Canvasback Aythya valisineria

1/8/2023 Los Angeles County, California

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria). Family Anatidae, order Anseriformes.

Today's animal of the day is the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)!

Photo credit: Frank Schulenburg

This species of duck can be found throughout North America and is the largest species of diving duck on the continent. Their common name comes from the white sides, back, and belly of the males, which somewhat resembles a canvas and really stands out against the black rump and chestnut head and neck. They also have bright red eyes. Females have light brown feathers on their heads and necks, which darken further down on their bodies, and they lack the red eyes of the males. They are similar in size to mallard ducks, but are heavier with a more compact build to help with diving. They also have a distinct wedge-shaped head and a rather sloped posture, which helps to set them apart from other ducks.

Photo credit: David Disher

Unlike dabbling ducks, which float along the surface of the water feeding on whatever vegetation they find there, canvasbacks will dive under the water in search of their food. Their diet consists mostly of buds, leaves, tubers, roots, and various types of aquatic invertebrates. Wild celery is one of their favorite foods, and they rely heavily on the plant's buds during the winter when there's not much else to eat. In fact, they eat so much of it that their species name, A. valisineria, is a reference to the scientific name for wild celery: Vallisneria americana. They dislodge the celery and other water plants, using their special bills, which are perfectly adapted to dig up tubers and buds from underwater substrate.

Photo credit: Sean Fitzgerald

These birds spend the winter months down in the southern portions of the United States and Mexico, but during the breeding season, they migrate up north to parts of Canada, as well as Alaska and a few of the other northernmost states. They prefer to nest in prairie potholes, which are a series of shallow wetlands surrounded by prairies that were created by glacier activity during the Ice Age. They build their nests in areas with lots of cattails, bulrushes, or other tall vegetation to provide them with cover, and will lay anywhere from 5 to 11 greenish eggs.

Photo credit: Donna Dewhurst

Sadly, due to a combination of overhunting and habitat loss, the canvasback population has fluctuated wildly since the mid-19th century. They were hunted extensively in the Chesapeake Bay area, which was an important wintering ground for the species that, at one point, contained around half of the entire population. They were considered a particularly tasty delicacy, which was attributed to the fact that they "seasoned themselves" with all the wild celery that they ate. By the end of the century, the birds had been hunted so much that they were considered a rare and expensive luxury.

Photo credit: Dick Daniels